1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system networks, and more particularly to a system and method for integrating devices into a wireless network.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
One valuable use of information handling systems is in networks that support end user communication with each other and with distributed storage locations. Initially, information handling systems were networked through cables, such as Cat 5 Ethernet cables, that typically terminated at a common switch or server. Over the past several years, wireless networking standards have developed that communicate information between information handling systems without cables, such as through networks based on 802.11 in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands. Wireless networking has become quite popular among end users largely due to the convenience it provides. For instance, end users with a portable information handling system are freed from the stationary computing use cases associated with wired networks while still able to receive communications through a wireless network. Indeed, many end users have brought wireless networks into their home space for greater convenience and to allow greater freedom in placement of home office equipment, such as printers or other peripherals that interface through a wireless network. A typical home network has a wireless access point (WAP or AP) that communicates with a protocol compliant with the 802.11a, b or g standards. The 802.11b and g standards communicate in the 2.4 GHz band while the 802.11a standard communicates with the 5 GHz band. In future, 802.11n is expected to utilize the same frequency bands. The 5 GHz band has a greater number of channels and generally provides a greater bandwidth that is free of interference found in the 2.4 GHz band, such as from cordless phones and microwave ovens. Also, the 2.4 GHz band has fewer usable channels.
As with information handling systems, wireless networking devices have steadily improved over time. For instance, in the time since the 802.11b standard was first released, security mechanisms for wireless networks have improved and quality of service (QoS) mechanisms have been embodied, such as in the 802.11e standard. QoS mechanisms separate the priority of multiple usages of a single network, typically represented by an AP and its clients, so that priority usages have predictable bandwidth to provide a service, such as for telephone or audiovisual streaming. Although typical home networks have only a single AP, the 802.11 standards do allow APs to interact in several modes. For instance, in a point-to-point bridge mode, an AP communicates with only another bridge-mode wireless device. In a point-to-multipoint bridge mode, an AP acts as a master of a group of bridge-mode wireless devices. In a repeater mode, an AP sends all traffic to another remote AP or device. An AP in a bridged mode is physically configured to connect to another AP either using a cable or through a wireless channel. Bridging implies that all traffic on any bridged AP is seen on the networks associated with each bridged AP, thereby taxing the bandwidth of each AP. As an alternative, APs may be physically connected to each other to route information between LAN ports using an Ethernet cable. In a routed mode, only traffic intended for an AP goes to the LAN port for the AP so that bandwidth is preserved. Generally, interacting multiple APs with each other is too complex of an operation for a home end user. Updating an existing wireless network for new features may not be possible due to limitations of the existing equipment. Often, home end users set up a wireless network with a single AP and leave it alone until a problem arises, however, this approach limits the installation of updated networking capabilities.